Cup-dispensing device.



E. A. CLAUS.

CUP DISPENSING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5.1912.

Alumni;

Inventor: EmzZACZaus Patented July 6, 1915.

Witnesses: CAMZM /:u 24

flitarney.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMIL A. CLA'OS, 0F HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOIR. TO PUBLIC SERVICE CUP COMPANY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK:

CUP-DISPENSING DEVICE.

Application filed June 5, 1912. Serial No. 701,793.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMIL A. CLAUS, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident chines and particularly to machines of that class which are provided for dispensing drinking cups.

The object of my improvements is to provide a machine of the class specified of simple construction and accurate and reliable in operation.

My improvements are illustrated in their preferred form in the drawing accompany ing this specification, wherein Figure 1 is a sectional elevation on line 1, 1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan view with those parts above line 2, 2 of Fig. 1 removed. Fig. 3 is a detail plan view. Fig. 4: is a fragmentary sectional elevation on line 1, 4 of Fig. 2 illustrating a modification of my improvements. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional elevation on line 5, 5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary diagrammatic develop-- ment of a portion of what is shown in Fig. 2 and looking in the direction of arrow 6 in that figure.

In the principal figures of the drawing I have illustrated my machine as coin controlled.

The operative parts of my improved machine may be contained in a boxlike case 3 on which is mounted means for guiding a stack of nested cups 4 in the direction of their common axis. Said means may comprise a tubular container 7 provided with a lower flange 8 having button headed screws 9 for locking engagement with suitable slots 10 in the upper rim 11 of said case.

Mounted in the upper portion of case 3 on axes as 12, located without the periphery of the cups in stack 1, are one or more rotatable members or escapements 13. Said escapements are herein illustrated as four number, spaced equally circumferentially relatively to the path of the cups in the line of their common axis- Said escapements are operable at one time for supporting the stack of cups and at another time for supporting all of the cups'in the stack except the lowermost one and also for separating Specification of Letters Patent.

Pate ted July 6, 1915. v

i that lowermost cup from the stack. That portion of said escapement 13 which is pro vided for supporting the stack of cups is peripheral blade 14:, positioned and operable in one plane normal to the axis 12 of said escapement. That portion of said escapement which is operable for supporting all of the cups in the stack except the lower+ most one is blade 15. Said blade is preferably wedge shaped as shown for lifting the stack of cups and for separating the lowermost cup from the stack. Said blades '14 and 15 have their ends slightly overlapping one another, see Fig. 2, whereby when the escapement is rotated in the direction of its arrow, Fig. 1, blade 15 will pass into supporting engagement with a cup above the lowermost cup, herein illustrated, as the next succeeding cup thereabove, be ore blade 14 rotates out of supporting engagement withv the lowermost cup and vice versa. The upper angled face of blade 15 will as it rotates in engagement with cup 40 lift that cup and those above it away from the lowermost cup 41, whereby when blade 14 is with drawn from below said cup41 that cup will be free to fall onto bottom 16 of case 3, from which position it may be withdrawn through a suitable opening in the front of said case.

The escapements, as 13, have 'a lower an upper bearing 18 in arm 19 in reaching. from post- 20 supported from said plate 17. Said posts as 20 may be provided with anti-v friction rollers as 21 for locating and guiding rotatable ring 22, said ring having teeth 23 for engagement with pinions as 24% fixed to said escapements as 13. Said ring 22 is efiicient through the instrumentality of its gear teeth in engagem t said pinions 24 to rotate said escapements in synchronism. Below said ring 22and concentric therewith is ring 25 provided with Ring 22 is provide with another car 32.forf

hearing as at 120 in annular plate 17 and engagement with pin 33 in plate 17 for limiting the movement of that ring in anticlockwise direction, Fig. 2. Said rings 22 and 25 are provided with coin engaging means comprising slots 42, 4:3, respectively, in their outer peripheries, for rotating ring 22 from ring 25 when a coin is in common engagement with said slots. Plate 17 is provided with an opening 44 therethrough for the passage of the coin into receptacle 45 of case 3 when said rings 22 and 25 have been rotated in unison a full stroke by means of handle 26. Said plate 17 is provided with a second opening 34: therethrough to permit the passage of any coin which may be deposited in the machine through the usual slot 35 while the machine is being operated during the presence of another coin in operative position as shown in Fig. 6. Said rings 22 and 25 are further provided with peripheral apertures 36, 37 respectively, to permit said second coin to drop therethrough into and through slot 34. Said slot 34: communicates with the lower part of case 3, whereby said second coin will he delivered into accessible position for recovery by the operator.

If it is desired to use my improved machine for dispensing cups without the intervention or employment of a coin I preferably use the modification of Fig. &, wherein ring 25 is omitted and gear ring 22 may be actuated directly by means of the protruding handle 26.

Referring now to the operation of the machine, a coin 39 having been deposited in common engagement with slots 42, 43 of rings 22, 25, respectively, lever 26 is moved in clockwise direction, Fig. 2, whereby, through the instrumentality of said coin,

gear rim 22 rotated in clockwise direction and through pinions, as 24, the four (!H(}2l1')(u.i3llt$, as 13, are caused to rotate in clockwise. direction, their blades as 1;". rotating into supporting engagement below the flange of cup 40 and, directly thereafter, heir lower blades ll rotating out of supporting engagement with respect of 'the llange of lowermost cup 41, that qup is free to drop onto bottom Hi of case 3. However,

if said .eup is tightly nested infio cup 40 there may be sullieient friction be ween said cups to prevent the l'alling of on 4:]; but the continued lrotalion of said OWFLDOIHGIKS causes the wedge shaped blades, as 15. to engage the [hinges of oth cups and ll,

whereby cup 40 and those thereabove in the stack, are crowded upwardly from cup 41, which cup is thereby freedfrom frictional engagement with said cup l0 and allowed to fall freely onto the bottom of case 3. At this time lever 26 will have reached the dotted position of Fig. 2 against stop 38 in case 3, and coin 39 will have reached the position over opening 44 in plate 17. If now, lever 26 be released by the hand, coin 39 will be freed from the grip of rings 22, 25 and will drop through opening'44 into receptacle 45. Ring 25 will be returned in anticlockwise direction by sprin 20, carrying with it by the engagement of dog 27 with ear 28, ring 22, all to their initial positions of Fig. 2, when the mechanism will be in position to receive another coin and when handle 26 is pulled, repeat the operation of dispensinga cup.

I claim:

1. A dispensing machine, including in combination; means for guiding a stack of nested cups in the direction of their common axis; a plurality of oscillating escape- 'ments, having their respective axes, located around the peripheries of the cups; an oscillating ring, so connected to said escapements, that the oscillation of said ring, will cause all of said escapements tooscillate around their respective axes, with uniform direction and extent; and hand operated means, for causing said ring to thus oscillate.

2. A dispensing machine, including in combination; means for guiding a stack of nested cups in the direction of their common axis; a plurality of oscillating escapements, having their respective axes, located around the peripheries of the cups; an oscillating ring, so connected with said cscapeinents, that the oscillation of said ring, will cause all of said escapements to oscillate around their respective axes, with uniform direction and extent; a second oscillating ring, concentric with said'lirst ring;

means for causing said second ring to oscillate said lirst ring; and hand actuated means for oscillating said second ring.

Signed at Brooklyn N. Y. this -'lth day of June, 1912, before two subscribing wit- 

